Francis Thomas Fletcher Lovejoy (1854–1932) was an American industrialist and an associate of

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

, Henry Clay Frick,

Henry Phipps, Jr. Henry Phipps Jr. (September 27, 1839 – September 22, 1930) was an American entrepreneur known for his business relationship with Andrew Carnegie and involvement with the Carnegie Steel Company. He was also a successful real estate investor ...

and

Charles M. Schwab Charles Michael Schwab (February 18, 1862 – September 18, 1939) was an American steel magnate. Under his leadership, Bethlehem Steel became the second-largest steel maker in the United States, and one of the most important heavy manufacturer ...

in the creation of the

United States Steel Corporation United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...

Early life

F. T. F., as he was known, was born on July 21, 1854, in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, the son of William A. Lovejoy and his wife Mary Jane Robinson. In the late 1850s, William and his brothers Perry, George, Samuel and sister Jane, and their families, left Maryland and moved to southeastern

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

First jobs

Around 1870, at the age of 16, FTF left home in Guernsey County, Ohio, and went to Washington, Pennsylvania, where he obtained employment as a telegrapher. Shortly after that he went to

Titusville, Pennsylvania Titusville is a city in the far eastern corner of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,601 at the 2010 census and an estimated 5,158 in 2019. Titusville is known as the birthplace of the American oil industry and for ...

, then the center of the new oil industry, and engaged in many different employments in that area, including the oil, telegraph and newspaper businesses.

Joins Carnegie Company

After ten years in Titusville, FTF went to

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, where he joined Carnegie Brothers Company in June 1881. His rise there was rapid and by 1889, at the age of 35, was an equity owner in the business. Two years later he was a member of the board of directors, sitting with such prominent titans of industry as Carnegie, Frick, Schwab and Phipps.

Prominent businessman

All through the 1890s, FTF continued his rise in the Carnegie companies, with the full trust and confidence of everyone in the inner circle. However, Carnegie and Frick had a falling out over the management and direction of the companies, resulting in a lawsuit by Frick against Carnegie. FTF, in order to resolve this matter, took the radical step of resigning all of his positions, thereby becoming a neutral party, trusted by all sides, and worked out the "new agreement," as it was known, under which the United States Steel Company was to be formed. FTF later invested his substantial assets into gold mining interests in

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Family life

In 1892, FTF married Jane Clyde Fleming (1869–1941). Their children were Francis Fleming Lovejoy (1894–1916); Kenneth Frick Lovejoy (1896–1947); and Marjory (1899–1980). Kenneth (known as Curley) was one of the first air mail pilots, flying out of Bettis Field near Pittsburgh. FTF himself is reputed to be the first American ever to ride a bicycle. FTF died on December 5, 1932 and is buried in Pittsburgh's Allegheny Cemetery along with Jane and their three children.

Retirement

FTF was interested in

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

and carried out a genealogical correspondence with Clarence Lovejoy (author of ''Lovejoy's College Guide''), tracing the family back to England.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lovejoy, F.T.F. American steel industry businesspeople 1854 births 1932 deaths Burials at Allegheny Cemetery